1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to audio video equipment and, more specifically, to a disposable audio video player. The single use data to be played can be supplied with the audio video player when purchased or selectively downloaded from the Internet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other audio devices designed for audio/video playback. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,643 issued to Monen et al. on May 6, 1986.
Another patent was issued to Suzuki on Aug. 28, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,153. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,012 was issued to Friedman on Sep. 12, 1995 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 27, 1996 to Nakai et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,443.
Another patent was issued to Grewe on Sep. 23, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,730. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,964 was issued to Niederlein on Nov. 25, 1997. Another was issued to Curtin on Nov. 16, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,200 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 14, 1999 to DeVito as U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,065.
Another patent was issued to Hoffmann on Apr. 20, 2000 as Deutschland Patent No. DE 19 943 306. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,562 was issued to Goldman on May 23, 2000. Another was issued to Ansell et al. on Oct. 5, 2000 as W.I.P.O. Patent No. WO 00/58963 and still yet another was issued on Jan. 30, 2001 to Kelkar et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,128.
Apparatus permits the use of a known optical compact audio disc for providing a larger memory capacity so that data other than audio data can be reproduced therefrom while maintaining consistency with respect to signal format and signal processing, such as error correcting methods and recording data formats and the like, by providing write clock signals and read-out clock signals for reading into and out two memories the main digital data signal by using a subdigital data signal that is recorded on the disc along with the main digital data and which is reproduced from the disc at the same time as the main data in order to provide addressing of the main digital data on a more accurate level and with finer resolution, and a control system searches a playback location of the main digital data based upon the subdigital data as read out from the buffer memory, in which subdigital data has been written by the write clock signal.
A data reproducing device having a reading device for reading digitally recorded music data and image data from a data carrier, and data processing device for forming a music signal and an image signal according to the music data and image data thus read, and applying the music signal and image signal to a sound generating apparatus and display device, respectively, wherein the data processing device monitors time data recorded in the record carrier, and suspends, upon detection of the discontinuity of the time data, the image reproduction by the display device.
A hand-held umbrella with a mechanism for rotating the stem and dome of the umbrella relative to the handle without manual rotation of the handle or umbrella. The rotation is created by a battery-operated motor forming a portion of the handle and adapted to receive the end of the stem opposite of the dome. The exterior surface of the dome may have a picture message imprinted thereon which has the appearance of animated movement when the dome is rotated. A speaker and mechanism for producing audible sound are also incorporated into the handle. In one embodiment, the music is contained on a sound synthesizer chip.
A karaoke system includes: reproduction unit for reproducing a MIDI sound source control information for karaoke song from a karaoke data recording medium, the MIDI sound source control information including playing time data of the karaoke songs; operation unit for inputting request of at least one desired karaoke song and karaoke playing time; calculation unit for obtaining playing time data of the requested karaoke songs and for calculating total playing time required for playing all of the requested karaoke songs; determination unit for comparing the total playing time with remaining playing time calculated on the basis of the karaoke playing time and for determining whether all of the requested songs can be played within the remaining playing time or not; and display unit for displaying a notice related to the result of the determination of the determination unit.
A protocol for labeling various types of data contained in a music chip. The protocol includes a hierarchical arrangement of headers for storing information about selections on the chip and the method in which they were coded in the memory of the chip. A global header located at the very start of memory will specify information needed to successfully decode the content of the music chip. This will include, for example, the necessary bit rate, as well as information pertaining to a specific PAC (Perceptual Audio Coding) algorithm employed in recording audio on the chip. In addition to the global header, each chip will have a section of memory allocated to a table of contents. The table of contents will include information on play times, song titles, music category and artist. Individual track selections will be listed as part of the table of contents by individual headers. The individual header contains a music field to which a track belongs, for example, classical, jazz, country, rock, etc., an artist field, and an address field which pertains to the information for addressing each track selection. Information from the headers is self-registered or automatically downloaded when a chip is loaded into a player/juke box device. The concept of self-registering general information included within the headers allows a user to select by type of music, artist, etc. for music selections made over a period of time. In addition, the present invention provides a method for segmenting memory in an integrated circuit chip wherein the integrated circuit chip is adapted for use in an audio player and the memory has pre-recorded audio stored therein. The method includes the steps of storing in a global header parameters corresponding to encoding techniques used in storing the pre-recorded audio in memory and coding in at least one individual header data fields indicative of general description information for individual tracks of the pre-recorded audio.
A music playing system includes a number of music playback units with playback changer devices, coding units, and ISDN cards. Each of the music playback units is provided with playable pieces of music. There is at least one input unit by means of which the pieces of music to be played on a playback unit are selected. In addition, there is a central computer with a memory in at least one playback unit, with the memory storing data about the pieces of music available in the playback units. The playback units can be connected between themselves and to the central computer via remote data transmission lines.
An interactive music playback device includes a sequencer for processing audio information corresponding to a song or other selected piece of music. The audio information may be retrieved from a PCMCIA card or other suitable solid state data storage cartridge which is inserted in a slot in the playback device. The sequencer arranges the audio information in a playback sequence based on one or more user-specified playback parameters, such as tempo, key and playback duration. Voice and instrument synthesizers receive the playback sequence and generate therefrom respective vocal and instrumental portions of the selected piece of music. The playback device may operate in a verse-shuffle mode of operation, in which the sequencer arranges the playback sequence to include randomly-selected verses of the selected piece of music interspersed with a chorus of the selected piece of music. The parameters of the playback sequence may also be varied in accordance with measures of external conditions as received from one or more environmental sensors. The playback device may also include a network connection for use in downloading the audio information from a network to the playback device.
A method and apparatus are disclosed for measuring and performing real-time FFT analysis of bioelectrical signals such as (EEG and EMG) for the control of systems. Passive and active interaction with various electronic media such as video games, movies, music, virtual reality, and computer animations is also discussed. A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a subject in a controlled area and for controlling real or virtual spaces is also disclosed.
The tariff charging method has each digitized music title provided with inaudible tariff information, which is logged within an internal memory (6) of the mobile telephone (5) when the music title is played and transmitted to the telephone service provider, via the telephone network.
A digital radio broadcast station which includes a common digital database having stored therein a plurality of at least several hundred (preferably at least 1800) different selections of music to be played and broadcast by the radio station. A processor system is provided for programming the operation of the digital radio broadcast station with a sequence of music selections, which are subsequently retrieved in order from the common digital database and played over the digital radio broadcast station. The processor system preferably includes a main computer system for operating the radio station, and also a backup computer system for operating the radio station in the event of a failure of the main computer system. The processor system is preferably based upon reduced instruction set computing architecture, and preferably comprises an IBM RS/6000 system with an AIX operating system. The common digital database comprises a disk array storage, preferably a dual port RAID disk array. The digital radio broadcast station also includes a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station such as disc jockeys and engineers.
Data such as a musical track is stored as a secure portable track (SPT) which can be bound to one or more players and can be bound to a particular storage medium, restricting playback of the SPT to the specific players and ensuring that playback is only from the original storage medium. The SPT is bound to a player by encrypting data of the SPT using a storage key which is unique to the player, is difficult to change, and is held in strict secrecy by the player. The SPT is bound to a particular storage medium by including data uniquely identifying the storage medium in a tamper-resistant form, e.g., cryptographically signed. The SPT can also be bound to the storage medium by embedding cryptographic logic circuitry, e.g., integrate circuitry, in the packaging of the storage medium. The SPT is bound by encrypting an encryption key using the embedded logic. By using unique cryptographic logic, only that particular storage medium can decrypt the encryption key and, therefore, the data of the SPT encrypted with the encryption key. To allow a user to playback the SPT on a number of players, players can share storage keys with one another. Such key sharing is done in a cryptographically secure manner. Before downloading an SPT to a particular external player, the ability of the external player to enforce restrictions placed upon the SPT is verified.
A music distribution system is divided into a plurality of regional networks each including a plurality of users. Each of the regional networks includes a distribution center to which the users of that region are connected. Each distribution center is provided with a library in which is stored a plurality of music titles. A user sends a request to the distribution center via an existing telephone network or cable network. Upon receiving the user's request, the distribution center locates and retrieves the requested data file stored in the regional library, and then transmits the requested file to the user via the existing cable service. At the user's destination, electronic equipment such as a television or a stereo receiver system may provide an audio/visual output of the requested data track.
While these audio may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.